Summary:
Zip code 32421 is home to a single school, Altha Public School, an alternative school serving grades PK through 12 with 653 students in the Calhoun district, which holds a 4-star rating.
Altha Public School presents a mixed picture of strong early academic success and significant challenges in later years. In the 2025-2026 school year, 3rd graders achieved an exceptional 93% proficiency in Math, far exceeding the state average of 66%, and 4th graders scored 78% in Math. However, by 8th grade, Math proficiency plummeted to just 17%, a dramatic decline that is a major concern. The school also excels in high school, with a graduation rate of 90.7% and 10th-grade ELA scores at 71%, well above the state average of 61%. A critical red flag is the chronic absenteeism rate of 40.6%, nearly 10 percentage points higher than the state average, which likely contributes to the middle school struggles. The school spends $11,219 per student and has a student-teacher ratio of 16.5:1, with 43.19% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
Despite being classified as an alternative school, Altha Public School functions as a comprehensive community school for the town, outperforming its district in many metrics. The school shows year-over-year volatility in some subjects, such as Geometry EOC scores jumping from 37% to 67%, while Algebra 1 EOC scores dropped from 90% to 63%. Overall, the school provides a strong foundation in early grades and effective high school outcomes, but the middle school decline and high absenteeism are areas that require attention for parents considering this school.
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